


The Apparition

by orphan_account



Category: Historical - Fandom, Music RPF, Rock Music RPF, brucedickinson, ironmaiden, janickgers, malexmale - Fandom
Genre: Historical Romance, M/M, Slash, Soulmates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-10
Updated: 2018-07-10
Packaged: 2019-06-08 12:00:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 21,886
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15242937
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: An A.U.  set in eighteenth century Ireland.   Bruce Dickinson had been earning his way as a hired mercenary for several years when rumors of a skirmish between rival chieftains brings him to Ireland seeking work.  On his way, however, he encounters a slender blonde man he at first takes to be a wraith.  Moved by impulses he cannot explain, when he learns this young man may be in danger he impulsively takes steps to help him, never anticipating how this would change his life.





	The Apparition

CHAPTER ONE

Bruce loosened his sword in its scabbard and looked around warily. He was ill at ease, the dense woods and the fog making it impossible to be as vigilant as he would have liked. He was not here by choice, chance had led him astray in his travels and now he was, to all purposes, lost. He had hoped to be in Galway by nightfall but he had no clear idea how far he was from the city or if he was even headed in the right direction.

He cast his eyes down to his feet, wary of stumbling over one of the many exposed rocks in the forest. He should never have come to Ireland, he thought. Burke had needed mercenaries and had offered good pay but the trip to Dublin from Portsmouth had been an experience he would have avoided had he known. The ship had been slow and leaky, the Irish sea rough, and he was not a good sailor. He had been sick the whole of the three days and dreaded the inevitable return journey. Still, staying in Ireland held no appeal for him. Surely there was someone on the continent willing to hire his sword.

A sound reached Bruce's ears, just a whisper of noise in the heavy stillness but enough to make him stop short with his hand on his hilt. There was no wind so perhaps it had been an animal rustling in the underbrush. Well, he had no fear of animals, or of men either for that matter. What made him uneasy were the tales he had heard. Ireland was said to be rife with the supernatural. Ban Sídhe, Faeries, Leprechauns, Pooka's - this land seemed to be a breeding ground for unworldly beings and none of them pleasant. Bruce felt the hairs prickle on the nape of his neck and he stood stock still for several minutes, but the sound didn't come again.

Bruce walked on. It was growing dark and the heavy mist showed no sign of dissipating. He sighed heavily and looked around. The faint track he had been following trailed away in front of him but the ground on either side was wet and boggy. The trees were giving way to bogland now and he saw no place to make camp, the only dry ground seemed to be the road itself. If he had to he would lay in the road, he had done it before, but it was not ideal. Any sort of person could come along and though he had great confidence in his ability with the sword he was only one man.

After several more minutes, however, Bruce was resigning himself to making a makeshift camp at the edge of the road when he heard a sound again, the same sound he had heard earlier several miles back. It was something like a soft footfall. Was something following him? He found himself in a half crouch, his sword in his hand without having consciously drawn it. Seven years of serving as a mercenary had honed his senses to the point where it was more reflex than conscious thought.

Scanning the surrounding ground, he thought he saw a glimpse of white amid the shifting fog but it was gone before he could tell what it was. Thoughts of spirits came unbidden to his mind and he swallowed, ashamed of the wave of fear he felt. There it was again, off to his left, and this time he could see it was a vaguely human form. As he watched it came slightly closer, a brightness against the gathering dusk, and to all appearances it was human. Bruce straightened. He was not afraid of anything human. 

The shape moved slowly, cautiously, but coming toward him, seemingly unconcerned with the wet, uneven ground, finding a path effortlessly. In the dim light and swirling mist it wasn't until the figure was perhaps ten yards away that Bruce could make out any detail. It was a man, or at least it appeared to be, although he knew some spirits were supposedly able to assume human form. To all appearances, though, it was a young man roughly the same age as Bruce himself, a slender man with long, bright hair falling about his shoulders, dressed in an unbleached tunic and close fitting dark breeches.

The young man stopped, looking at Bruce but not speaking. Bruce took a step toward him and suddenly he was gone, running back through the bog, nimbly hopping from one patch of dry ground to the next as only someone intimately familiar with the terrain could. Bruce hesitated only a split second then was after him. He was an impulsive, even rash man, something which led to him becoming a mercenary in the first place, and as he ran he asked himself why he was following someone who could easily be a wraith or, worse yet, someone sent by Burke's enemies to lead him into a trap. It was commonly known that Burke had been hiring soldiers and anyone coming from the east would have to take this path.

Bruce looked up to see the white shirt and blonde hair flitting ahead of him and he plunged one leg up to the knee in the muck. Cursing soundly he pulled it out with a sucking sound and looked ahead. there was a faint glow ahead that, even as he looked, vanished. He froze, thinking again of fairy mounds and Teine Sídh, will-o-the-wisps that led unwary travelers into bottomless bogs. Bruce looked behind him. He was no longer sure which direction the road was. He straightened his shoulders. He was a soldier, a warrior. He had fought in campaigns in France and Holland, he had taken part in several other small skirmishes such as this one between Burke of Castleconnell and his rival for the chiefdom, the Burkes of Mayo. He was not afraid of spooks - or so he told himself. Stepping carefully, he picked his way forward.

A slight breeze shifted the mist and Bruce drew in his breath. Ahead of him on a rise in the rocky ground stood tall granite walls. A Castle? Well, if there was a castle then he was dealing with flesh and blood and not spirits, so he continued forward. The ground was drier here, exposed rocks made the footing uneven but there seemed to be a worn path leading to the structure and Bruce cautiously followed it. Scattered boulders littered the ground the nearer he drew to the wall and Bruce looked up, knowing from long experience that there would be arrow slots and possibly enemies watching him even now. The wall seemed to stop abruptly some fifteen feel over his head, though, and the top was jagged. 

Bruce was more puzzled than apprehensive now. This appeared to be a ruined castle but he had clearly seen firelight and this appeared to be where the young man had gone. There were no arrow slots or even windows, however, so he stepped right up to the iron bound oak door. The door, at least, was sound and solid. He put a hand against it and pushed and much to his surprise it swung inward easily. Experienced as he was, Bruce knew better than to enter so he stepped back and looked inside. There was, indeed, a fire in a yawning fireplace but it had burned down to glowing embers and the large room appeared empty. 

Curiosity pushed aside his natural caution and Bruce stepped inside. Suddenly something struck him in the middle of his back and he fell forward, his sword clattering across the stone floor. He pulled his dirk from his belt in one movement and turned swiftly, putting his back to the stone wall. Then he stared.

The slender blonde man was getting to his feet before him and Bruce understood that somehow he had jumped Bruce from above, perhaps from a niche or alcove in the wall. The two stared at one another, neither speaking or moving. The blonde’s face was wary, his thin lips set, but in the firelight his eyes showed a trace of fear. Finally he spoke, his voice oddly soft considering the situation.

“Why did you follow me here?”

“Why were you following me on the road?” Bruce countered, rising slowly to his feet.

“You were traveling near my home. I wanted to see if you meant me harm.”

“Why would you think I meant you harm?”

The other man didn’t answer directly but his demeanor relaxed somewhat. “Why are you on the road so late?”

“I am headed for Galway.”

“Then you are lost. You are too far to the north.”

“I know I’m lost.” Bruce said testily, then he took a deep breath. The blonde was unarmed and he sensed he posed no threat. “If you will tell me the direction, I’ll be on my way.”

“It is dark now. You will fall in a bog and drown.”

“I am not so helpless as that!”

The man didn’t reply but glanced pointedly at Bruce’s muddied boots and soaked pants legs. Bruce sighed and sheathed his dirk. “All right, perhaps you will guide me back to the road and show me the way to Galway?”

The other man shook his head. “Even I can’t find my way in the dark and I’ve lived here all my life. You will have to stay here until morning.”

“Stay here?! It struck Bruce's suspicious mind as ridiculous that this man would allow him, an armed stranger, to stay in his home - if this was indeed his home - overnight.

"You do not seem to have a choice, do you?" the blonde pointed out mildly. 

Bruce weighed his options. His innate perception of human nature had served him well in identifying enemies in the past and he sensed this man was no enemy. In fact, he appeared completely harmless aside from the fact he had jumped Bruce, something anyone would do if a stranger followed them into their home. 

"All right." He struggled to find polite words, words he had not been called upon to use much in recent years. "Thank you. I am Bruce."

"Bruce. No surname?"

Bruce merely shook his head, not wanting to pursue that particular subject. 

The slender man seemed to accept that. "I am Janick."

Bruce found himself smiling. "No surname?"

Janick smiled back. "Janick of Gers."

"Of Gers?" Bruce had never heard of Gers. He walked to the fireplace, hoping to warm up. Janick took several small pieces of wood from a stack in the corner and stoke the fire back to life.

"It is a long story, Bruce." he said as he worked. "My Father was a soldier of fortune, a mercenary from Poland. My Mother was Irish, this is...was her family home."

"A mercenary?" Bruce naturally latched onto that part.

Janick stood, dusting off his hands. "Ah, so you are a mercenary as well?"

"How did you know that?" Bruce's wariness returned.

Janick gestured to the sword. "Your weapon is of French make and it has seen wear. Also, it is known that a call has gone out for soldiers in the conflict over the chiefdom in Galway."

Bruce relaxed, understanding how Janick had arrived at his conclusion. There was a long table to one side of the fireplace, it had once been a fine table with rich carvings but it was now old and scarred. Long benches flanked it and this seemed to be the only furniture in the room. A kettle sat buried in the ashes at one end of the fireplace and Janick hooked a poker onto it, drawing it out on the hearth.

"Are you hungry, Bruce with no surname?"

Bruce felt a smile twitch his lips. "To be truthful, yes I am, Janick of Gers." 

He sat at the table as Janick ladled out a bowl of thin mutton stew flavored with carrots, onions, and herbs and Bruce ate it with relish.  
He felt immensely better and less contentious after eating and looked up as Janick placed a cup before him.

"Ale?"

"Yes, but I expect you will find it weaker than you are accustomed to." He poured a cup for himself from a large earthenware jug and sat down opposite Bruce. After drinking in silence for a few minutes Bruce could contain his curiosity no longer.

"I find it difficult to believe you live here, Janick."

"Why? It is my mother's family home, as I've told you."

"But it's a ruin!"

"Yes, well you can thank the English for that. In my Grandfather's time they came with their cannons and blasted the upper portion of the castle away, believing we supported the O'Neill's. We had no love for the English but we had no connection with the O'Neill's."

Bruce nodded, familiar with the history of Owen Roe O'Neill and his long fight against English domination. "But your family stayed on here, even after the castle was razed?"

Janick shrugged. "We lived as tenant farmers for a time, I'm told, but when Grandfather died there were no men left and they couldn't pay the rents. Grandmother, mother, and her sisters returned here. When Mother met father they lived in Galway but Father went on a campaign back to Poland and never returned so once again we had no way to pay the rent and returned here. Mother died three years ago."

"And you've been living here by yourself ever since?" Bruce felt a stirring of compassion for the quiet young man. It sounded like a lonely and dull existence.

"I like it." Janick said simply. "I have sheep on the moorland behind the castle, I have vegetables from the garden and I gather herbs to take to the market every fortnight. What more could I ask of life?"

"Why, excitement! Adventure!" he grinned, "Women!"

Janick merely laughed. "I can live quite well without all those things, Bruce. And what of yourself? Why are you here, selling your sword? I can't believe you care who becomes chief of a petty territory on the edge of the Burren!"

"One must make a living." Bruce said carelessly, downing the last of his ale. He did not want to talk about himself. "Where can I make my bed, Janick? I mean to be off at dawn, if you will show me the way."

Janick stood. "This way." He lit a tallow candle in the fire and walked to a darkened doorway across the room. Bruce followed, seeing a small chamber there with a narrow bed. 

"But surely this is where you sleep!"

"I will sleep by the hearth."

"No, I'll not put you out of your bed. I will sleep by the hearth. I've slept in much worse places, I assure you!"

 

"The floor is cold and damp, Bruce"

"Then I'll certainly not allow you to sleep there!"

The two of them looked at one another for a moment, then simultaneously broke into laughter.

"If you will not take my bed for yourself, would you consent to sharing it with me?" Janick asked. He looked a little uncertain and Bruce felt a momentary guilt. He guessed that Janick was unused to sharing his home, let alone his bed, with anyone. Still he could not bring himself to allow the man to sleep on his own cold floor while he had a warm bed to himself.

"All right, thank you." He took off his sword belt and his boots but lay his weapons near the edge of the bed where he could get to them at a moments notice. The bed was against the wall and he slid under the wooden covers, scooting as close to the wall as he could. After a brief hesitation, Janick removed his own boots and slipped in, hovering near the edge. The bed was rather narrow and even though they were striving not to touch it was unavoidable. Bruce felt Janick's tension, it emanated from him in waves and after the candle was snuffed and they lay there a few minutes he ventured to speak.

"You can relax, you know. I am not a robber or a murderer."

"I know. I am not afraid of you, it's just strange not to be alone."

Bruce felt more comfortable talking in the dark and he found himself wanting to talk to this man. "You must get very lonely here."

"I am content."

"You keep saying that, yet your voice lacks conviction."

Janick was quiet for a long while then and Bruce thought he had either offended him or that he had fallen asleep. He hoped he hadn't offended him, he found he rather liked Janick.

"You know what you said earlier, about excitement and adventure?" Janick finally said, his voice low.

"Yes?"

"I do find myself wondering about these things. I've never been further from here than Galway but perhaps I inherited some wanderlust from my father. When I'm in town I sometimes go to the docks to watch the ships sail and wonder where they are going."

"I have to confess something to you, Janick." Bruce said. He had never spoken about these things to anyone but found it surprisingly easy to talk to Janick. "I sometimes wish I could have a life of peace such as you have here."

"Why can't you?" Janick asked softly.

"Why can't you board one of those ships and sail to far off lands?"

Janick laughed a little. "That is a fair question, Bruce. I think part of me knows I belong here." 

"And part of me knows I belong nowhere."

Bruce felt Janick turn toward him even though he couldn't see him in the dark. "Surely you have a home, Bruce."

Bruce paused for a moment, then spoke. "No, I really haven't. I was born north of London but I have no family. I was brought up in a foundling home and I ran away as soon as I was old enough to survive on my own. A blacksmith found me sleeping in his forge, took me in and put me to work. He made fine swords and taught me to use one. He died and I became a soldier, though I work for no king or country." There was more to that story but this was the first Bruce had ever told anyone about his upbringing and he was hesitant talking about himself, mostly because he found it difficult to believe anyone would care.

Janick was silent for a minute but even in the dark Bruce could feel his eyes on him. It was as though he knew Bruce was holding back some of the story, but he didn't press him.   
"I am sorry for that, it must have been a rough life." he finally said, and there was true sorrow in his voice.  
Bruce's lips twisted in irony. Rough didn't half describe how it had been for him. His earliest memories were of being disciplined in the orphanage. As he grew older and became stronger the Fathers who ran the home no longer beat him but they gave him the hardest work and the least amount of food. He had stayed until he was fourteen because some of the younger children depended on him for protection but then a new order took over the home and the different age groups were separated and isolated. There was no reason for him to stay then. Living for a year on the streets taught him to be stealthy and swift, to avoid being seen as he stole from the market stands and hid in stables to stay warm. That was how John had found him, and that was a story in of itself.

The two men fell silent and Bruce relaxed somewhat. He was bone weary, having walked far after departing from the coach at Athlone and sleeping the previous night in a copse at the roadside. Eventually he heard Janick's even breathing and within minutes he allowed himself to fall asleep as well, trying to keep memories at bay.

-  
CHAPTER TWO

Bruce awakened to the strange sensation of warmth at his side and lay still for a moment until he remembered where he was. Turning his head he saw that Janick had rolled close to him in the night and was sleeping with his head on his shoulder. Loathe to disturb his host, he watched the man, noticing small details that hadn't been apparent in the dim light of the previous night. Janick's hair was long and somewhat wavy and Bruce caught a faint scent from it, like clover blossoms The man's jaw line was strong and his skin so fair and smooth Bruce found it difficult to believe he ever needed to shave, unlike himself with his heavy morning stubble. 

Something about Janick still struck Bruce as almost otherworldly though he knew now he was no apparition but a flesh and blood man. There was a sense of innocence about him though he was obviously intelligent and well spoken, and a sense of gentleness. Bruce felt an unaccustomed warmth inside for this man he barely knew, something he had only rarely felt for anyone in his life.

Janick stirred in his sleep and unknowingly placed a long fingered hand on Bruce's chest, startling him somewhat. The touch was warm through his soft leather jerkin and the warmth intensified the warmth spreading through Bruce's chest. Though he had sometimes stayed the night with whores and camp followers during campaigns he had never felt affection for them such as he felt now toward Janick. It almost made him angry. In his line of work he could not afford to turn soft or sentimental, and he knew he would be leaving Janick in a matter of hours. In fact he could probably leave now if he could extricate himself from the other man's embrace.

Bruce moved slightly, watching Janick to see if he awakened, then he moved more until he crept out of the bed. The morning air was damp and cold but gray light filtered through a tall window high in the opposite wall. Bruce was looking at the gloomy low clouds when a voice at his side startled him.

"Good morning, Bruce."

He turned to find Janick just sitting up in bed, his hair mussed and tousled and his eyes still soft with sleep. 

"Good morning." he replied, still looking at the man, the fall of his hair and the way his tunic had loosened in the night and fallen off one pale shoulder. An errant thought crossed his mind wondering if the skin was as soft to the touch as it looked. He mentally shook himself. "Whenever you are willing to direct me to the road I will be on my way."

"I will take you, it is difficult to find the path through the wet ground. But first wouldn't you like some porridge?"

Bruce was conscious of being hungry, a feeling he was quite familiar with, and he nodded. The two men adjourned to the next room where Janick lit a fresh fire and hung a pot of water over the fire to boil. The scent of peat filled the room, a scent Bruce had found everywhere since arriving in Ireland, and the dampness emanating from the stone walls eased somewhat.

"It must get very cold here in winter." Bruce mused aloud, seating himself on the bench.

Janick looked up from the bag of oatmeal he was digging into. "It isn't bad, I always cut plenty of turf."

Bruce let the subject go but he realized he was concerned about the soft spoken, gentle man. As he ate he tried to convince himself that how Janick chose to live was not his problem, almost succeeding by the time he strapped on his weapon and followed the slender figure out of the castle into the morning air. There was no mist this morning though it was gray and overcast and Bruce was able to easily follow the other man's footsteps through the treacherous ground. He made an attempt to memorize the path, though it was by no means a straight one, and made note of the spot where the path met the road.

"Thank you for your hospitality, Janick." Bruce felt a reluctance to leave that he willed down with some difficulty. It seemed to him that the other man's gray-blue eyes showed some sadness as they bid their goodbyes and Bruce felt his footsteps weigh heavily as he walked away in the direction Janick indicated. Having gone several yards he turned but Janick was gone, having vanished back into the bog.

Bruce made his way to Galway without any further difficulty, arriving just at dusk. Easily signing on with Burke's small force he fell into the routine he had been living for the past several years, taking a bunk in a low stone structure with the fifteen-odd other mercenaries and two dozen or so local men making up the force. The dispute over the small chiefdom had so far not come to blows but the commander of the fighting men, a Captain Dermott, informed Bruce that the contender, a distant relative of Burke's, had gathered a contingent of fighting men of his own and they should be ready for anything.

The days passed, the men keeping busy and honing their skills with practice and competitions between themselves, but there were no developments or threats of battle. Bruce kept himself apart from the other men, as was his habit, socializing only as much as necessary, though he gained their respect through his prowess with his blade. It was a rough camaraderie of a sort that Bruce was accustomed to. Burke's keep was a short distance outside Galway city and of an evening some of the men ventured into town to the ale houses and bordellos but Bruce found, rather to his surprise, that the idea did not especially appeal to him as it once might have. 

One man in the contingent, a local henchman of Burke's named Conal Hughes, seemed to take a dislike to Bruce and Bruce was watchful of him. The man seemed to be envious of Bruce's skill with the sword and the favor it brought Bruce with captain Dermott. He dared say nothing to Bruce himself but Bruce was aware of the man muttering about his standoffishness and unwillingness to join the band on forays into town. In speaking with the others Bruce learned that Hughes was a ruffian only enlisted by Burke though some sort of clan connection and that the man was known for drunken rowdiness and being unnecessarily harsh with the locals. Bruce outwardly ignored him but watched him warily. He was a thin weasel of a man but known to be deadly with his long knife.

As the men bedded down at night Bruce invariably found himself wondering about Janick. The man had just been a chance encounter but for some reason that Bruce couldn't fathom he stayed in Bruce's mind and he found his thoughts straying to him often, more often than he would have liked. Meanwhile, the two rivals for the chiefdom were meeting and negotiating and there was some grumbling amongst the men that they had been recruited unnecessarily, that a peaceful solution was likely. Bruce did not know whether to be relieved or disappointed. He would still be paid, he knew, but he was now in a godforsaken corner of western Connaught and it would be difficult to find new prospects from here. He felt restless but not for battle. He couldn't define the source of this feeling, only that it was new to him.

The men guarded the long hall in the keep daily as the two rivals for local leadership met to talk. Both had forces relatively equal so neither wanted a battle to become necessary and after over a week of such meetings, the two found an agreement, splitting the territory in a way that both were happy and would receive fair shares of the rents. The mercenaries had all been in this situation before, being recruited as more a show of force and a bluff rather than to actually fight, and they took it in stride. that evening over mess they were already discussing where to seek employment next and Bruce listened in carefully. there were always small disputes and skirmishes taking place somewhere. There was a war between Sweden and Russia, though Bruce hoped to avoid crossing the North Sea if possible, given his penchant for seasickness. More promising for Bruce was rumor of trouble with the French in the south of Austria.

As he listened in, Bruce became aware of another conversation taking place at the table behind him where Burke's local fighters sat and he picked out the reedy voice of Conal Hughes. His attention diverted to this new conversation, Bruce learned that Burke had ordered Captain Dermott to collect back taxes and rents, something that had been postponed as the chiefdom was under dispute. It became apparent that Hughes, in an attempt to curry favor with the captain and with Chief Burke himself, was planning to forge ahead with the collections immediately. Bruce's attention drifted. He was soon to leave this place, local events were not his concern. Then his ears pricked. He heard Hughes mention someone who was seriously overdue in taxes and Bruce picked up on a name that sounded very much like Gers. He listened more carefully.

"The fool hasn't paid taxes in over five years on that tumbledown heap he lives in." Hughes was saying. "I think we should pay him a visit and if he hasn't the money, well it shouldn't take much to knock the rest of that crumbling pile of stone down."

"Why do it now?" One of the other men complained. "We haven't been ordered to make any collections yet."

"Exactly why we should do it now." Hughes laughed. "No one will expect us. All this inactivity is making us soft, we need a little excitement. Gers lives by himself and is said to go about unarmed. It should be fun to rough him up a bit! We'll head out tomorrow at dawn."  
Bruce felt a jolt of genuine fear for Janick. Men like Hughes would stop at nothing. Bruce was certain Janick had no money and that would give Hughes and his men the excuse they were looking for to raid the ruined keep and hurt or even kill him. Bruce had to resist the sudden urge he had to turn on Hughes right there in the hall and run him through, knowing if he did that he himself would be hanging from the gibbet. But he would not let a lout such as Hughes attack a gentle soul like Janick, the very thought of Janick coming to harm gave him a sense of despair he would never have anticipated.

It was fortunate that Bruce was known for keeping to himself because for the rest of the evening he was preoccupied, his stomach a knot of worry. He watched Hughes and his men like a hawk in case they decided to head to Janick's immediately but they showed no signs of doing so, settling down to drink their ale and roll dice as they did every evening. It seemed to take forever until Captain Dermott called for lights out and by that time Bruce was like a coiled spring, tense and restless. He went to his bunk like the others, waiting what seemed an interminable time for the mutterings around him to turn into snores.

Bruce's skill at being stealthy made it very easy for him to slip from the barracks into the night. A watchman was posted at one end of the castle grounds but as they expected no trouble the man was leaning against a wall, dozing. It was clear tonight, at least, though the moon was only half full. Bruce thought briefly of stealing a horse but quickly decided that the noise would be too great and it would bring pursuers too quickly. No one would care about a deserting mercenary but a stolen horse would be another matter. Knowing he had several miles ahead of him, Bruce settled into an easy jog.

As he ran, Bruce was running through things in his mind. He was very concerned for Janick, that much was certain, but what was less certain was why he should be. He had spent only a few hours with the man yet the blonde had left an indelible impression on him and as the cool night air cleared his head Bruce was forced to admit why. It had all started with John, the blacksmith who had taken him in when he was fifteen. John had not only taken Bruce into his home, he had taken him into his bed. Bruce had stayed with John until he was twenty and the two had been more than lovers, they had been in love. John had died in the prime of his life, struck down almost overnight by a fever, and Bruce had been on his own for the six years since. Never since John's death had Bruce felt anything deeper than friendship for anyone, man or woman, but that had changed when he met Janick Gers.

CHAPTER THREE

Bruce ran on at an easy pace through the night, leaving the cottages surrounding Galway behind and venturing further down the rocky, rutted road toward the windswept nothingness called the Burren. His internal debate eased once he faced the truth - he was attracted to Janick. And now Janick was, if not in actual danger, at least under threat and Bruce knew he had to take action. He couldn't fight Hughes and his men, there were too many and Janick's keep was too far destroyed to make any good defense.

Bruce surveyed the area on each side of the road carefully. True, he had taken note of the path when Janick had brought him back to the road but everything looked different in the light of stars and moon. The bogland all looked alike but then Bruce saw a distinctive exposed rock at the very edge of the road. Turning to the left, he left the road and tried to remember the winding path between the low areas that Janick had taken. He was certain he was on the right trail but several times he strayed from the path and ended up in thick mud to his shins. Finally, though, he could see the broken gray walls of the keep on a rise in front of him. Behind the structure to the east the sky was lightening almost imperceptibly. dawn was little more than an hour off, though if Hughes set off at dawn it would still be a few hours before he reached here, even on horseback and Bruce wasn't sure horses could even be taken through the low areas. Still, there was no time to lose.

Hurrying forward, Bruce approached the heavy door, then on second thought went around to the side where he knew the bedchamber lay . Standing beneath the window he called Janick's name low but clear, using his resonating voice to it's best advantage. At first there was nothing, not even a sound from within, then he heard the faintest rustle of cloth on rock. He nearly jumped when Janick's voice sounded from the window practically at his ear.

"Bruce? He sounded doubtful.

"Yes, please let me in, it's urgent!"

A moment later Bruce was at the door and heard the bar being lifted from the inside. Janick opened the door, his hair still in disarray from sleep, his face pale in the uncertain light.

"What...?"

Bruce pushed in. "You have to leave the keep, there are men coming. They want taxes and if you do not have them they will batter the walls down. If they catch you here...." Bruce paused, aware that he sounded frantic. He took a breath, reaching out and putting both hands on Janick's shoulders. "I believe they mean you harm. They are itching for excitement, spoiling for a fight of some kind. They are bad men, Janick. I have to get you away from here!"

Janick stood as if in shock, then he galvanized into action, not questioning Bruce. "I have to gather a few things."

"Hurry!"

Janick merely nodded and Bruce watched in the dim glow of the hearth as he moved fluidly around the room, gathering a few small objects from a wooden box in a corner then filling a leather pouch with food. He poured water from a wooden bucket into a goatskin and turned to Bruce.   
"I'm ready."

Bruce grabbed him by the elbow and they left, going to the rear of the structure. You know this area, where will you go?"

"We will go east."

Bruce didn't fail to notice that Janick said "we" and was glad the blonde wasn't going to flee alone. Though he had no doubt Janick knew the area, Bruce didn't know if Hughes men would pursue him and if they did his military experience could be needed. Janick set off, his long legs striding easily across the uneven rocks. Bruce had been running all night but he set his teeth, pushed down the weariness he felt creeping up on him, and followed. Neither man spoke until they were well out of sight of the keep.

"Now, tell me what is happening, Bruce." Janick spoke at last, so Bruce filled him in on the aborted Campaign in Burke's service and about overhearing Hughes's plans.

"Hughes wants to gain the Captain's favor and he believes this is the way to do it. I expect he chose you believing you would be an easy conquest and it would set an example for others with delinquent taxes or rents."

"If not for your warning, I would have been an easy conquest indeed." Janick said wryly. "But though I appreciate it, why did you come all this way to warn me? You've surely been traveling all night." 

Bruce chose not to respond to how long he had been on the road and wasn't sure how to respond to the rest of it. He decided a simple reply was best. "You gave me shelter when I needed it. I think of you as a friend."

Janick glanced over at him and in the growing light Bruce saw his face was solemn. "I am your friend, Bruce. Thank you."

The two walked on for some time in silence. There was no sign of life except for some sheep and a glimpse of a distant whitewashed cottage. Once Bruce saw the distinctive square shape of another keep but even from a distance he could see it was in a greater state of ruin than Janick's. Janick obviously had a destination in mind and after the sun had risen he changed to a more southerly track. Bruce followed at his side unquestioningly.

"Do you believe they will pursue us?" Janick's sudden question startled Bruce.

"I don't know, but there would be no reason for them to. They won't be able to track us across the rocky ground and it would be more trouble than it's worth. I...I'm not sure when it would be safe to return to your home, however."

"Never." Janick said flatly. "I still owe the taxes and the English will pressure Burke for them, so he will pressure me."

"I am sorry." Bruce meant it. Janick was effectively being driven from his ancestral home, as dilapidated as it was.

"I knew it would happen eventually. I had hoped Burke of Mayo would win the chiefdom, he would be less concerned with taxes from this area."

Bruce filled him in then of the split of the chiefdom and found himself talking of other day - to - day details of his time at Burke's keep. Janick listened with interest, passing Bruce the skin of water to drink from as they walked. They had been walking for a few hours and Bruce, though he was in excellent physical condition, was feeling his strength wane. Janick seemed to be looking for something in the rocky outcroppings to their east and suddenly he veered in that direction.

"Where are we going?" Bruce was curious.

"Aliwee."

Bruce looked at him askance. "And what is Aliwee?"

Janick looked over with a smile. "It's a cave my Father showed me once when I was a boy before he left. It is only a small cave, an indentation in the rock, but it will provide shelter and will hide us. You need to rest, Bruce. I slept last night, you did not.

"I am fine to go on." Bruce hoped he sounded more certain than he felt.

"Nevertheless, it's a good place to stop. Come on." They reached the foot of a low rocky hillock and Janick nimbly scrambled up the incline. Bruce bit back a weary sigh and followed, willing himself not to notice how perfectly rounded Janick's backside looked as he climbed in front of him. Janick paused at a scrubby bush and poked around in it, then gestured to Bruce before crouching and disappearing from sight. When Bruce got level with the bush he saw that it concealed a small opening about four feet round. Crouching, he crept inside.

It was, indeed, a small area but surprisingly dry, though Bruce fancied he could hear the trickle of water echoing from somewhere nearby. Janick was sitting cross legged on the level rock floor digging into the sack of food he had snatched before leaving his home, pulling out a somewhat wrinkled apple and a handful of small carrots and passing them to Bruce. Bruce joined him on the floor, gratefully accepting the food. He felt a wave of exhaustion wash over him and he fought it off. The two men ate in silence and Bruce glanced over at his companion, noticing the worried look on his face.

"Do you have someplace to go, Janick?" he asked gently after a while.

"Possibly. My mother's younger sister lives near Waterford, or she did the last I knew. I have never met her but having family there may enable me to settle there. If not..." he shrugged. Then he turned to Bruce. "And what of you? If there is no work for you with Burke any longer, where will you go?"

"I haven't made any plans. There are conflicts on the continent but ....I don't know, perhaps I'm growing weary of being a soldier for hire. "

Janick paused in putting the remaining food away, looking at Bruce. "Then come to Waterford with me. If you want to go on, you can sail from there or from Cork."

Bruce returned the look levelly. "All right, if you do not mind my company."

Janick smiled for the first time that day. "Bruce, I am very glad of your company! Until you came to my home that night I didn't realize how lonely it was there but.....well, I will be happy to have you with me."

Bruce realized he was smiling, and Janick returned the smile. Feeling oddly content for someone with little food or money hiding in a cave in the wilderness, Bruce leaned his head back against the cool stone. That was the last he knew for hours.

Bruce woke up slowly, stiff from lying on the rock floor of the cave. The sun was setting on the horizon through the mouth of the cave, filtered through the leaves of the bush concealing the entrance. He didn't remember falling asleep, he must have virtually passed out after eating. The bush suddenly rustled and Janick crept into the cave carrying a full water skin. Bruce raked his long brown hair back from his face as he sat up and Janick handed him the cool water with a smile.

"I shouldn't have fallen asleep, someone could have come....," Bruce began but Janick shushed him.

"Bruce, you were exhausted. It's fine, I didn't go far. There is a field just over there," he gestured to the south, "with potatoes so I took some. If we dare to make a fire we can eat better tonight."

"A fire should be all right, we are far enough from your home now and we can see some distance away. I doubt anyone else will be concerned. Where did you find the water? It's ice cold!"

"There is an underground stream flowing out of this cave through the rocks below." Janick sat back against the rock wall, gazing out the opening across the empty expanse beyond.

Bruce sat watching him, not conscious that he was staring. The setting sun highlighted Jan's honey colored hair, making it shine like burnished gold. It was his expression that troubled Bruce, however. There was sadness in his eyes. Impulsively he reached out, laying his hand on Janick's bent knee.

"For what it's worth, I'm sorry this happened. I imagine that if I had a home it would be very difficult to leave it, especially without warning."

Jan turned to face him. "It is hard, but I did say I was curious about the rest of the world, remember?"

Bruce tried to smile in return, but he was still wrenched with empathy for the blonde. He slowly removed his hand and Jan looked at his knee where Bruce's hand had been resting, the sad look seeming to increase.

"It was just so....so safe at the keep, you know." he said wistfully.

"Safe from what, Janick?" Bruce asked gently. He wasn't sure what the other man was trying to say. Janick raised his eyes to meet Bruce's but didn't say anything for a minute.

"From....life, I guess. I knew it was unrealistic but I hoped I would be able to stay hidden away there for the rest of my life."

"But why? Surely you want companionship? To marry, to have a family."

Janick shook his head but didn't reply. Bruce wanted to know more but he wasn't willing to press. 

After a few more minutes, Bruce crept from the cave to gather some sticks from the scrubby bushes nearby. Janick had pilfered a few bricks of turf from a pile in the corner of the potato field so between them they were able to make a passable fire. Though he wasn't terribly concerned with pursuit, Bruce was glad that there was just enough of a breeze to dissipate the smoke. The breeze seemed to be in advance of a storm, however, as black clouds over the Atlantic were now obscuring the last of the sun. Janick put the potatoes near the embers once he had a bed of coals, poking and prodding them every few minutes so they would heat evenly. As they waited they had another apple apiece and talked, Janick telling Bruce what he remembered his mother telling him about the aunt who married and moved to Waterford. Family ties were strong among the Irish, Bruce knew, and he was reasonably confidant that Janick would have little difficulty settling there.

The storm clouds were almost upon them before the potatoes were heated enough to eat so they took them inside and sat by a small torch they brought inside with them and ate. 

Janick's spirits seemed to improve after eating and he chuckled. "And to think, the night we met neither us wanted the other to sleep on the cold floor. Tonight we have no choice, we will both sleep on the floor."

"As I said then, I've slept in worse places." Bruce reminded him. "Muddy ditches, beneath a waterfall once in Normandy, even in the snow."

Janick was looking at Bruce when he looked up from where he was trying to find a smooth spot to lay. "Why did you become a mercenary, Bruce?" Janick asked softly.

"I told you the night I stayed with you."

Janick shook his head. "You told me a blacksmith taught you to use the sword, not why you chose to make your living with it."

Bruce gave up trying to get comfortable and lay, resting his back against the wall. He wasn't physically comfortable but he found he was very comfortable in every other way. He started speaking. "John...the blacksmith I told you about, meant a very great deal to me. He died suddenly. After that I suppose it didn't matter to me what I did. I found work in a public house as a hostler and when a troop of men came through saying they were seeking their fortune fighting for the Duke of Ayen in France and any man who could use a sword was welcome to join them, I went."

Janick was looking at Bruce and Bruce got the uneasy feeling he was reading between the lines, that he sensed there was more to his relationship with John than that of a master and pupil. 

"You asked me earlier why I wouldn't want a wife and family. I could ask the same of you."

Bruce opened his mouth to reply, but stopped. What could he say? Yes, he enjoyed the favors of women but he couldn't envision choosing one to spend his life with. He had believed he would spend his life with John and when that proved impossible Bruce hadn't entertained the thought of settling down with any one person again.

"You didn't answer me when I asked you, so I won't answer you now." he smiled to soften the words and Janick smiled in return.

"If I answer, will you?

Bruce hesitated for just a second, then nodded.

Janick seemed to be trying to formulate the words, however. He traced his finger in the dust on the rock floor, not looking up at Bruce, then he began to speak. "I don't think I would make a fitting husband. I ....I am not interested in finding a wife." he raised his eyes then and looked at Bruce. "I am not interested in women, Bruce. And since I can't have ....who I am interested in, I have to remain alone."

Bruce kept his eyes locked to Janick's. "Who are you interested in, Janick?" He asked quietly. 

Janick continued tracing his long finger in the dust. He looked like he wanted to answer but didn't dare.   
Bruce decided to take a chance. "I'll tell you my reasons. John was more than my mentor. He was my mate, my lover. I will never be able to care for a woman in that way, so it would be unfair to marry."

Janick raised his eyes slowly, astonishment in his expression but none of the shock and distaste Bruce had feared. Bruce waited a minute, then spoke again. "It is the same with you, isn't it Janick?"

Janick stared, still not speaking, then he whispered. "Yes. I never had anyone like you had John, but I know I feel nothing when I see women. When I see certain men...." he broke off, seemingly unable to finish.

Bruce sat up and suddenly he felt he had to say everything. For the first time he felt he had found a kindred spirit, someone who he could relate to. "Janick, you don't have to hide yourself away! You don't have to live alone!"

Janick just looked at him, his eyes still sad, and Bruce plunged on. "I understand what you are feeling, believe me I do! When John died I not only wanted to live alone, I didn't care if I lived at all! But....I don't feel that way anymore. Now I feel something for someone again."

Janick's eyes shone in the faint light of the dying torch and outside the first few fat drops of rain hit the bush. Neither man paid it any mind, their eyes locked on each other. Bruce moved closer, looking imploringly into Janick's face. "Janick....I feel something for you!"

Janick looked stunned. "Can you possibly mean that, Bruce?" he whispered.

"I do mean it. If I can care for someone, then you can find someone to care for too one day."

Janick shook his head, not in doubt but in a kind of wonder. "I..., I have. When I said I can't have who I am interested in, I meant you!" 

Bruce felt the same sort of impact hit his chest that he had sometimes felt when a blow glanced off his armor, only this time it wasn't a physical blow. "But you can have me, Janick!" Seemingly without conscious thought Bruce raised his hand to brush the wild tendrils of hair back from Janick's face, his voice a mere whisper. "If you want me, you can have me. All of me!"

CHAPTER FOUR

Janick sat in silence, Bruce's fingertips still gently brushing his cheek. "It.....it isn't possible." he finally said.

"It's possible. It's possible I've fallen in love with you, Janick. It's more than possible, I know that I have!"

Janick slowly raised his own hand to close around Bruce's lightly, then he drew Bruce's hand to his lips and kissed it softly. Bruce felt as though his heart were going to burst, he felt he couldn't catch his breath. In a sensation completely foreign to him, he felt almost as though he were on the verge of tears. When he was with John he was very young, he had known nothing of the world. He had been many places and done many things since and he knew this was a more mature kind of feeling, an adult kind of love he was feeling for Janick. He moved closer to Janick, moving slowly because this was all completely new to Janick and he didn't want to alarm him. Janick still held his hand near his lips but his eyes were on Bruce.

"May I kiss you, Janick?" Bruce asked quietly.

Janick nodded almost imperceptibly. Bruce felt he was drowning in the dark gray pools and only closed his eyes as his lips touched Jan's. A slight touch, no pressure, but as he went to move away again Jan moved his hand to the back of Bruce's head and pulled him close again, this time he initiated the kiss and there was more feeling to it, more pressure though it was still gentle.

"You...," Bruce stopped to gather his wits, "you are perfect, Janick. So perfect!"

Janick smiled a little. "I..... I have always believed myself to be a freak, an abnormality."

"No...no, Janick." Bruce breathed, still immersed in the eyes a few inches from his own. "You are wonderful. Don't ever believe anything else."

Janick's smiled faded, his expression intense. "Bruce, you are a man of the world and I...I've never...,"

Bruce cut him off, putting his fingers over his lips. "That's all right, that doesn't matter."

"But....,"

Bruce shook his head, his knuckles softly stroking Janick's cheek. "Stop worrying, I won't ask anything of you. You can trust me."

Jan nodded. "I know, I know I can trust you. But I've been thinking about things since I met you. I'm not a child, I know how things are supposed to be, what men are supposed to want. But I only want you, I want those things with you!"

"And I want them with you, but all in good time. There is no hurry, Janick." Bruce was overcome with such powerful tenderness toward this man, feelings more powerful than any he had ever experienced. He wanted Janick, there was no question of that, but he would not rush things. A rumble of thunder sounded outside, echoing strangely through the small cavern, and suddenly the sky burst, rain pouring down in torrents. Janick moved closer to Bruce, sitting against the wall close by his side and it dawned on Bruce that he was nervous of thunder. He slipped his arm around the slim form and felt Janick mold to his side, fitting as naturally as two pieces of a puzzle. When the next clap of thunder came it startled even Bruce and Janick laid his head on Bruce's shoulder. Bruce stroked the silky hair, marveling at how soft it flowed through his fingers.

"Bruce?" Janick asked softly after a few minutes. "If I stay in Waterford, will you stay with me? I know it won't be as exciting as you're accustomed to....'

"I don't want excitement, I only want you." Bruce assured him. "I'll stay with you wherever you want to be, I'll stay with you until you ask me to leave."

Janick raised his head and looked at Bruce then. "What if I never ask you to leave?"

"Then I'll never leave." Bruce couldn't stop himself from kissing Janick again then, careful to keep it chaste and light. But when he felt Janick return the kiss he felt his resolve start to slip and he pulled away.

"Janick, " he struggled to get his heartbeat under control and will away the strong surge of desire that threatened to overtake him, "we have to go slow. I don't want to make you feel rushed into anything."

"I don't feel rushed. I just want to be closer. I told you, I'm not a child. I know about things even though I haven't done them myself. Bruce....," Janick seemed to be trying to find words to express himself. The torch had long since burned out, the chamber was lit only by occasional flashes of lightning but Bruce didn't have to see Janick's face, he could sense the other man's nervousness. "Bruce, I don't want to go slow!" Janick finally said in a burst of courage.

Bruce found Janick's hand and squeezed it, threading their fingers together then raising the hand to his lips, kissing each finger. "We can do anything you want, as little or as much as you want. "

"I don't know what I want, only that I want you to kiss me again. And again and again." Janick's voice was breathy with urgency coupled with nervousness.

Bruce let out a strangled moan and seized Janick, his kiss starting slow but quickly building. It had been some time since Bruce had been with anyone, even camp whores, so his passion built quickly, threatening to sweep him away. But he knew Janick had never been with anyone and he knew he wanted to make this experience a good one for this man who had so quickly come to be his whole world.

Janick was making it difficult to rein in his desires, however. The blonde was a fast learner, quickly going from soft, closed mouthed kisses to deep all encompassing kisses, welcoming Bruce's invading tongue eagerly. Bruce wore a leather jerkin over a muslin tunic and he broke away to remove the jerkin, spreading it on the rough floor then lowering Janick to it. It was still hard and cold but neither of them minded, they scarcely noticed so wrapped up were they in discovering one another. Bruce held the slender body tight against his own, breathing in the herbal scent of his hair. He knew Janick could feel his hardness, feel how much he wanted him, and as Bruce put his hands on Janick's hips to pull him closer he could feel without a doubt that the other man was excited as well.  
Almost without conscious thought Bruce rocked his hips into the Janick, hearing his breath hitch when their groins touched. He could so easily get carried away, he knew, and he forced himself to stop and regain his composure.  
"We can stop any time, Jan. Just tell me to stop and we'll stop."

"Noooo.....," Jan all but moaned with a drawn out sound of longing. He didn't know what he wanted but he knew he wanted something, he needed something, "no, don't stop. I don't want to stop, we can't stop now!" He moved his hips against Bruce, seeking the contact, the friction he instinctively craved. 

Emboldened, Bruce lifted the hem of the rough tunic Jan wore, brushing his fingers across the trembling skin of his stomach. Jan lay back on the leather shirt, his breathing rough, small sounds he couldn't stop escaping his lips, each sound fueling Bruce further. Bruce lowered his lips to the impossibly smooth skin of his partner's stomach, laying soft kisses there, kissing his way up as he lifted the shirt until Jan became impatient and tore the shirt off, tossing it aside. With no shirt to hinder him Bruce kissed Jan everywhere, even laying soft kisses then tentative licks to the hardened buds of the other man's nipples, feeling Jan jerk involuntarily at the touch.

"Bruce...," Jan was trying to speak though he could hardly form words in the state he was in, "take off your shirt, let me touch you!" 

Bruce gladly complied, laying the shirt beneath them as well for the little added cushioning it might provide. Both of Jan's hands immediately found him, spreading across his chest, circling in the abundant hair there. When he felt Jan mimic his action and lean to kiss his bare skin Bruce had to close his eyes and steel himself against crying out loud.

Jan sensed what Bruce liked about what he was doing so he continued his explorations with both hands and with his mouth, touching the tip of his tongue to one nipple as his other hand stroked the other one. Bruce knew he couldn't take much more.

"Can I touch you, Janick? Can you remove your trousers?"

Jan hesitated only a moment then began to unfasten the laces. "If you remove yours as well, Bruce. I ....I want to feel all of you."

Bruce used the time it took to take off his pants to regain a modicum of control over himself. He wanted this to last, he wanted to prolong this as much as possible. When they embraced again they were both naked and fully aroused, their erections hot against each other's skin. Janick was trembling uncontrollably now but it was from excitement rather than fear. Bruce stroked his hand slowly down across the smooth stomach again, then beyond until he felt the soft curls against his palm. He was kissing Jan as he lay his head back, placing dozens of lingering kisses to his throat and neck, feeling the pulse racing beneath the skin. Jan's palms were flat against Bruce's back pressing him closer and though it was instinctual rather than deliberate he was gently rocking against Bruce. 

Slowly Bruce's hand moved again, moving ever lower until he felt the hard, velvety flesh against his fingertips. At his first touch Jan made a sound that nearly ended it for Bruce then and there, then he folded his fingers around the heat, not moving yet, just holding him in his grip. Jan made an impatient sound, moving against Bruce, so Bruce closed his hand tighter around him and began to move it slowly up and down.

"Bruce...Bruce I...., I'm going to....," suddenly he cried out with a sharp sound and Bruce felt the pulsations as suddenly his hand was filled with Jan's thick, hot completion. Jan continued to move, to thrust, the waves of pleasure slowly ebbing until he lay back completely spent.

Bruce kissed him again, softly now, moved both physically and emotionally by the way Jan had abandoned himself so fully, so trustingly to him. For a long moment he just held him, Jan laying motionless, then the blonde stirred and clutched at Bruce, clasping him tightly and kissing him. Bruce was nearly out of his mind from the intensity of what had just occurred, so near the edge himself that he knew it wouldn't take much at all to push him over.

"Janick, touch me! I need you to....,"

Before he'd even finished speaking he felt the long fingers close around him and he couldn't keep from pushing himself against Jan. Jan's touch was hesitant but at Bruce's moan he tightened his grip and slid is hand along Bruce's length as Bruce had done for him, his other hand on Bruce's backside pulling him closer. When he felt Jan's lips on his neck that was the tipping point, he moved his hips sharply, let out a cry, and spilled himself, seeing bright points of light behind his eyelids as the most powerful orgasm he had ever experienced overtook him.

Bruce lay back, oblivious to the hard surface beneath him. He was aware of Janick lying close, his arm tight across his chest, but several minutes passed before he could summon up the will to speak.

"Are you all right, Janick? Are you sorry we've done this?" That was Bruce's fear at the moment, that Janick would regret what had occurred between them, but he need not have worried.

"No, not at all! I feel wonderful!" He giggled a little. "It's so much better with you than when I.... I was by myself!"

Bruce chuckled and reached up to stroke the hair back from his lover's face. The storm had passed now, the clouds were dispersing and faint light illuminated the cave. The floor near the entrance was wet but where they lay it was dry, the air cool but where their bodies touched it was warm.

"Bruce?" Janick spoke again after a silence. "Is it always so....intense?"

Bruce was honest. "Not like that, not with anyone else. Only with you."

"There are...... other things two men can do together, aren't there?"

"Yes, but only if you want to. It isn't necessary."

Janick merely tightened his arm across Bruce and within a few minutes he was asleep. Bruce placed a soft kiss to his forehead and drifted off to sleep as well. 

Something, some inner sense, awakened Bruce. He lay still, trying to place it. He was aware of Janick's warmth beside him, felt the feathery strands of the blonde's hair against his skin and smiled to himself, remembering the night before, but the niggling feeling of danger wouldn't go away. Slowly he extricated himself from his lover's arms and crept in a crouch to the cave's opening. It was just dawn, the sky a soft gray but it promised to be a fine, sunny day. Bruce scanned the open country before him and finally spotted movement. A small band of men were making their way along a rise to the west. It was too far away to identify them but Bruce knew it had to be Hughes and his men, the number was right. It was unbelievable that they had been followed all this way but he knew of no one else it could be. Why, he couldn't guess. There was little reward in it for the men if they were caught, and he could only conclude that the man's stubbornness and cruel nature had pushed him to lead his men this far in pursuit of a little sport with Janick. It was unlikely they knew Bruce was there.

He returned to Janick, pausing only a moment to admire the peaceful beauty of the man asleep, then he gently shook him. Jan awakened with a start and Bruce gestured for him to follow, pointing out the men from the cave's opening. 

"It's the men you warned me about?" Janick asked.

"I believe so." They were speaking quietly even though the men were nearly a mile away and wouldn't have heard them if they spoke normally.

"Do you think they know we are here?"

Bruce shook his head. "They know we came this way, apparently, but they are passing us by, no doubt heading for Limerick. My guess is that they are looking for trouble and care not where they find it."

"They will find enough in Limerick." Jan smiled grimly. "By all accounts, it is a rough place. There is a large garrison of English stationed there and if these men run afoul of them they will get their just desserts. And since they are headed south, we should cut east from here."

Bruce had only a vague knowledge of Irish geography. "That is the direction of Waterford?"

"It is south and east but we will be safest to go east. We will be more likely to find friendly farmers, we can buy or perhaps work for food and shelter."

"How far is Waterford?"

"I am not sure, at least three or four days travel."

"Do you have any money?"

"A few coins. Have you?"

"I have my first two weeks pay from Burke but it is not much. No matter, we will get by."

Janick smiled, a smile filled with trust. "I know."

 

They retreated back into the cave then. They were both still nude and sorted their clothes to re-dress. Bruce's eyes kept straying toward Janick, admiring the long, lithe limbs and perfect contours of the man's body. John had been a burly man, Janick was a complete contrast and Bruce found it very appealing indeed. Dressed, the two men split the last of the food Janick had brought from his home, some oatcakes and apples. Janick looked over at Bruce as they ate.

"You keep staring at me, Bruce." He wasn't complaining, just commenting.

Bruce smiled. "I can't help it. I cannot believe how fortunate I am to have you."

Janick flushed a little. "No, I am fortunate. You are not only strong and skilled as a warrior, you are kind and gentle. And very easy on the eyes."

Bruce burst out laughing and they made ready to leave the shelter of the cave. Though Bruce was reasonably certain Hughes' men had gone in another direction he nevertheless remained vigilant as they walked. They passed through miles of rough, rocky terrain that morning before seeing any evidence of habitation aside from tumbledown rock walls of long abandoned cottages. There was water aplenty but no food to forage so by the time they spotted a farmstead in late afternoon they were both famished. In such a remote area they were greeted by the farm family as long lost friends and though they offered to pay for food the farmer insisted they stay for supper with them. Bruce was coming to understand that the Irish, though many were dirt poor, were as generous and welcoming as anyone he had ever encountered. 

The homestead consisted of an old matriarch, a couple in their middle years, and a half dozen excitable children who were thrilled with the diversion of unexpected guests. Though they intended to walk a bit further after supper the family kindly offered to put them up for the night after hearing they were headed for someplace as distant, in their eyes, as Waterford. Another thing Bruce was learning about the Irish was that almost every one he had met had a love of music, almost as though it was a racial trait, so he was not surprised when after supper the man of the house took down a fiddle and began to play a slow air. Bruce watched with fondness as Janick closed his eyes, swaying slightly with a dreamy smile on his face as the man played.

"Can you play an instrument, Janick?" he asked curiously when the song was over. There was so much he didn't know about his companion and learning promised to be an experience filled with surprises.

Jan mumbled something self deprecating but the man of the house heard him. "You play the mandolin? Can we hear a tune, then?" he reached for a high shelf and produced a dusty instrument, blowing the dust from it. "My Grandfather played, this was his, but alas, I never learned it."

Jan was shaking his head but Bruce urged him on. "Oh, please do, Jan. I'd love to hear it!"

With an embarrassed smile, Janick took the instrument and tuned it, surprised that the strings were still intact, then without preamble launched into a version of Drowsy Maggie. Bruce watched stunned. Jan seemed to not need to look at his hands as he played, he closed his eyes and tilted his head, the music seeming to transport him to another place. The children clamored around him when the song was finished, insisting on more so Jan ended up playing several more songs. 

Finally he lay the instrument aside. "And you, Bruce? What is your talent?"

Bruce laughed. "I have none! I can't play an instrument, I can only sing after a fashion."

"Sing, then!" Jan encouraged him. "Please?"

Bruce sighed with mock exasperation but he knew he could never refuse Jan anything. Thinking hard, he remembered a song one of the lay sisters at the foundling home used to sing for the smaller children. Sitting back, he began to sing.

There were three old gypsies came to our hall door  
They came brave and boldly-o  
And one sang high and the other sang low  
And the other sang a raggle taggle gypsy-o

The song had many varied verses as did most old English songs and he could remember only a few. When he finished the children cheered and whooped and the older folks clapped but when he looked at Janick he saw his eyes shine with love. It took his breath away. 

There was no room in the house for Bruce and Janick to sleep but the family generously offered to put them up in the barn. It was warm, dry, and had piles of fresh hay so they accepted gladly, retiring there shortly after the music ended. As soon as they were outside the home Janick slipped his hand in Bruce's. "I had no idea you could sing like that, you have an incredible voice!"

Bruce felt unaccountably humbled. "And I had no idea you could play music so beautifully. We have so much to learn about one another!"

They entered the low whitewashed stone building and located a mound of fresh hay, sitting down.

"Yes, we have. My Mother played music, she could play mandolin and tinwhistle and taught me."

Bruce told her about the songs he heard at the orphanage as a child and the two sat side by side, hands clasped, talking and learning more about one another. Bruce was eager to know everything about his companion, a man he was learning was well read, intelligent, and thoughtful as well as warm hearted and spirited. 

"I'm afraid you will find I have some not so pleasant traits as well," Bruce told him. "I can be impatient and withdrawn, I'm easily put off by ignorant people and fools." He took his free hand and reached up to touch Jan's face. "I may not be an easy man to love, Janick."

Jan seized Bruce's hand and placed a kiss in the palm. "It's easy for me to love you, no matter what. I have my quirks as well, I assure you."

"Oh?" Bruce smiled. "Such as what?"

"I like to wander off." He laughed at how that sounded, then explained. "I go for long walks at any time of the day or night. But I will always be back, Bruce, I'll always come back to you." 

Bruce put his arms around him, pulling him close and kissing his lips. "I hope so. I could not bear to lose you."

"You won't." Jan's voice was solemn. He leaned and kissed Bruce, still a little uncertain about initiating kisses but Bruce responded with enthusiasm, feeling himself stir. In the back of his mind all day he was aware of a smoldering fire building for Janick and it threatened to ignite now, carrying him away. He gently lay Jan back in the soft sweet smelling hay, leaning over him, holding him tightly as the kiss went on and on, becoming torrid and almost desperate before they broke apart.

"Will you let me make love to you, Janick? I want to do so much with you!"

"You can do anything. I know you won't hurt me."

"I won't rush you into anything, I just want to taste you, I want to make you feel good."

Jan didn't reply with words but rather with a short high moan, clasping Bruce's buttocks and pulling him tight against his groin. He was as hard as Bruce himself was and as needy, trying to lie still as Bruce worked at the laces of his garments but unable to keep from moving. Bruce lavished attention on his partner, amazed at the smooth white skin, virtually hairless, and the lean muscles and rounded arse. Jan's skin tasted sweet to him, the essence of him unique and intoxicating and he kissed his way slowly down his body as he removed the offending clothes. Pausing at the laces of the soft woolen breeches, Bruce placed his hand to cup the very obvious arousal within, then placed his lips against the cloth to blow warm air through the fabric, making Jan squirm.

Janick was muttering Bruce's name, urging him to hurry even though he didn't know exactly what he wanted. Unlacing the pants, Bruce peeled the well fitting material down and Jan sprang forth, already glistening with anticipation. Bruce felt almost dizzy with want but he moved slowly, teasing himself as much as he was teasing Jan. He kissed all around his ultimate goal, kissing down the thighs and around the taut testicles, then taking a testicle in his mouth to roll on his tongue. Jan moaned, then clapped his hand over his own mouth, seemingly embarrassed at the sound.

Bruce chuckled. "No need to be quiet, there is no one to hear except the cow." The barn was located some distance from the house at the edge of the fields. "I want to hear you, I want to know you are enjoying this."

"I.... I am, Bruce. Oh please, don't stop!"

Bruce continued his ministrations, becoming impatient himself until he couldn't stop himself any longer and he traced his tongue along the length of Janick's engorged member. Janick immediately bucked his hips, letting out a whining cry. Bruce couldn't get enough now that he had a taste, he proceeded to run his tongue along and around until Jan's hands clutched at his head, stilling him.

"Stop, s..stop! I can't take it, it's too much!" Janick panted, his words almost incomprehensible.

Bruce forced himself to slow down, now lowering his lips around Jan and taking his length slowly, steadily into his mouth. Janick was crying out with every movement as Bruce slid his mouth up and down, his fingers clutching Bruce's long hair.

"Br....Bruce! Stop, I'm going to..... to....., Ahhhhhh!" he cried out sharply and Bruce's mouth was flooded with salty sweet liquid which he drank down eagerly. Jan collapsed back into the hay and Bruce moved up to his side, kissing him sweetly.

Janick opened his eyes, looking at Bruce in the dim light of the lantern the farmer had given them to use. "I've heard men talking in pubs and places about.....that, but I never thought I would experience it. I...., I can't believe anything could feel that good!"

"I want to always make you feel good." Bruce whispered, kissing him again.

Janick reached up to gather Bruce's hair away from his face. "I want to make you feel good too, Bruce. Will you let me try that?"

Bruce's physical response was instantaneous, he had never wanted anything or anyone this much. The very thought of Janick's warm mouth on him nearly made him moan out loud. "You can do anything to me. Anything or nothing at all and I will love it."

 

Janick's nimble fingers were already working at loosening Bruce's shirt and he pulled it off, leaning to kiss the exposed chest with a soft sigh. He was losing his inhibitions as he become more absorbed in his actions. Bruce's heart was hammering but he allowed himself to lie back and bask in the sensations. He could feel every nuance of movement Jan was making, feeling the fingers run through his chest hair as he rained kisses across Bruce's chest. Finding a nipple he experimentally flicked his tongue across it, drawing a moan from Bruce. pleased with the reaction, Jan gave more attention there, then to the other nipple until Bruce was finding it impossible to lay still. 

Janick was loosening Bruce's trousers as he kissed his way down his stomach, finally pulling apart the laces and sliding them over his hips. Bruce lifted himself to enable Jan to pull them all the way off, feeling oddly exposed as the hay prickled his bare skin. In a moment, though, he forgot all about the hay as Jan began to kiss lower, his hand cupping and softly caressing the balls as he placed long moist kisses all around but not yet touching Bruce's cock. Bruce heard himself making little whimpering sounds of impatience and want until suddenly he felt warm lips running down the length of his shaft. He was breathing hard now, trying to focus on not ending this too soon but he nearly lost all control when he felt Jan take each ball in his mouth, sucking lightly, swirling his tongue around them. Jan's hand held the base of Bruce's shaft lightly as he continued to run his lips along it, then Bruce gasped as he felt the moist warmth close over him. Jan was completely inexperienced, going by instinct alone but every movement he made made Bruce feel as though he were on the very edge. After a few minutes Jan incorporated light sucking and that was all it took, Bruce bucked his hips and felt himself go over, falling blissfully and seemingly endlessly into oblivion. He heard himself cry out Janick's name then he lost the ability to say anything at all, falling back into the hay as the waves subsided, completely sated.

Janick was at his side when he became aware of this surroundings again, kissing his neck and shoulder, his hand running across his chest.

"My God!" he gasped, still breathless. "That was the most incredible thing I've ever experienced!"

"So I did it right?" Jan asked a bit hesitantly.

"More than right, it was perfect!"

Jan smiled "I...., I liked doing that. I like the taste of you, I'm going to want more."

Bruce seized him, holding him tight, kissing him, not caring a whit where his mouth had been. "And you can have more, you can always have more!"

 

CHAPTER FIVE  
In the morning the farmers gladly sold the two men provisions, and Bruce paid more than the farmer asked, telling him it was to repay them for the hospitality but truthfully Bruce could tell they needed the money. He still had some left from Burke's pay and though he didn't say so to Janick he feared they may need every bit if things didn't work out as they hoped they would in Waterford. They set out across farmland but it was a matter of climbing rock fences and crossing farmers fields. By mid afternoon they came to the shores of a long, narrow lake that Janick believed to be Lough Derg.

"Father had some hand drawn maps," Janick explained when Bruce asked him how he could know theses things if he had never been this way before. "He was a learned man, he had a keen interest in these things. History, geography, literature. I learned more from him than from the schoolmasters."

"Do you ever wonder about him?" Bruce asked. "You said he went to fight in Poland and never returned."

Janick walked in silence for a bit, his face thoughtful. "Of course I wonder about his fate, but I can guess. Father was of the minor nobility but he was the youngest of five sons so received no inheritance. He joined the military and fought in the Polish - Turkish wars and when he returned home he found his family's lands had been taken over by a neighboring Baron. He became a hired sword then and eventually came to Ireland to fight in the Williamite Wars. When I was fifteen, though, he got word that the Baron who had taken his family's land had died and he returned to try to retake the land with others of his family. My belief is he was killed in the attempt."

Bruce looked at Janick in a kind of wonder. Though he had seen his share of military action, it was nothing such as Janick's father had known. "I would have liked to have known him!" Bruce said.

Janick smiled over at him. "I believe you two were of a kind, he would have liked you." They walked on, circling the lakeshore to the south. After several minutes, Janick spoke again. "Father taught me to use a sword but he told me that a life of a soldier would lead to nothing but grief. The only good thing he had found, he told me, was meeting Mother and then my birth."

Bruce was a bit surprised. Janick was so gentle and sweet natured it hadn't occurred to him that he may know how to fight, but he found he was glad. Ireland, for all it's peaceful beauty, was a volatile country. There were dozens of small conflicts taking place all the time both among the natives and against the English overlords. 

Aloud he said, "I believe your Father was entirely correct about the life of a soldier. It has kept me alive but I do not enjoy it. I love the excitement but not the death and carnage. I am glad to be out of it."

Janick smiled and, as they were now in an unpopulated area, he reached over and took Bruce's hand. "I am glad you are out of it too. But I know you will miss the excitement. I wonder.....," he trailed off and Bruce looked over at him curiously.

"You wonder what?"

Janick was looking at the ground before his feet and his face was unreadable. Bruce didn't think he would answer but then he spoke, his voice so quiet it was almost lost in the wind off the lough.

"I wonder if you will tired of the simple life I lead and leave one day."

Bruce looked at him, incredulous, and stopped walking, taking Jan by the shoulder and turning him to face him.  
"Janick, I give you my word, I will not. Life with you is all I desire, and being with you is excitement enough to last a lifetime. Please, do not think like that again!"

"We have not known one another long, Bruce. How can you know?"

For an answer, Bruce put his hand over his heart. "I know. I just know."

Janick held his gaze for a minute then smiled, the sad, uncertain look fading. "If you are feeling what I am feeling then yes, you do know, just as I do."

Bruce stepped closer to Jan and swept him into a kiss, a deep, heartfelt kiss, the wind sweeping around them and waves from the lough lapping at the shore behind them. They were the only two people for miles and they felt like the only two people in the world and in a way they were, the only two that mattered.

It took them until dusk to circle around the southern tip of Lough Derg to continue east, and they sheltered for the night beneath the walls of a tumbled old cottage overgrown with weeds and wild foxglove. It had been an overcast day but now at sunset the sun emerged and cast a golden glow across the surrounding barley fields. Some distance away they could see a farmstead but they stayed where they were. They have food and gathered some twigs to make a small fire within a corner where two walls still stood. It was dry and free of weeds there and they sat close against the wall, Bruce's arm around Janick and Janick's head upon his shoulder.

 

"It's possible we may reach Waterford by this time tomorrow." Janick mused. "I only wish I knew what will happen when we do."

"We won't know that until we find your Aunt - if we find her." Bruce admitted, his hand idly running through Janick's hair. "But even if it doesn't go well with her it's no reason to despair. We will find a place to live, a way to be together." He faced Janick, raising his chin with his finger. "I promise you that, Janick. Whatever happens, we'll be together."

Janick smiled, his gray eyes shining. He leaned and placed a soft kiss on Bruce's lips, then settled back onto his shoulder. They fell asleep like that, backs against the rough stone wall but warm in each other's arms. Sometime in the night a soft rain started to fall but they huddled closer to the wall, staying as dry as possible. It was more difficult to sleep after that however and huddled close as they were it was inevitable they began to get amourous. It started with a few simple tender kisses interspersed with loving words but before long Bruce was overcome with desire for his slender blonde lover and began rubbing and caressing him through his breeches, feeling like he had to touch him or else go mad. Janick took it upon himself to undo his pants and Bruce eagerly drew him out. The conditions were less than ideal, the air and the ground beneath them was damp but Bruce lay Janick back and sought him out with his mouth, using his tongue until Jan was writhing and frantically clutching his hair. 

Jan reached his completion with a strangled cry, his fingers tangling in Bruce's long chestnut hair, moaning softly as Bruce lingered there through the aftershocks. At first Bruce insisted he need not reciprocate, that he could wait until they had a more comfortable place for their loveplay, but when Jan began to stroke Bruce through his breeches he was soon too far gone to protest as Jan drew him out and finished him with his hand. After that they slept soundly for the rest of the night oblivious to the weather.

By morning the rain had gone and a fiery red sunrise greeted them. After they had a bit of food and moved on, talking quietly together as they walked. The more Bruce earned of Jsnick the more enamoured he became, and as Jan listened attentively to anything he said he found himself opening up more and speaking more freely than he had in years . As the morning progressed the area they entered became a bit more populated and they found a proper road as opposed to the worn footpaths they had been following, most of which had been made by sheep or cattle. They came to the town of Cashel just after midday and Janick was in awe of the ruins dominating the hill over the town, an ancient cathedral with distinctive round towers and other ruins surrounding it. Bruce indulged Janick, agreeing to investigate the ruins. Even though he didn't share Janick's fascination with the place Bruce found himself impressed by the sheer size of the place and the splendid architecture.

There were a few other people on the promontory, some just relaxing after church as it was a Sunday and some visiting graves of family members for the place was continually used as a cemetary. The two men struck up a conversation with an old man who was walking his dog and asked how much further to Waterford. They were dismayed to learn it was further than they anticipated and that it would probably be another whole day's journey. At least now they had a proper road to follow so there was nothing for it but to set off. There was little traffic on the road once they left the outskirts of the town, just the occasional farmer driving cows from field to field or driving a cart. Bruce's respect and admiration for the irish was growing by the day. Every one of them called a greeting as they passed them on the road or at the very least waved, and the few they met on foot unfailingly stopped to speak for a few minutes before going on their way.

It was dusk when the two found themselves in a cluster of buildings centered around a large castle on an island in the river Suir. There were a few basic buildings but there was also a pub with an inn at the center of the village.

"Shall we stop in for a drink or two?" Bruce looked over at Janick.

"Can we afford it, do you think?"

Bruce nodded. "Yes, I believe so. We've spent very little money so far so we should even be able to rent a room tonight, if you like."

Jan's eyes took on a look Bruce was coming to know, a look that meant he was thinking of the things the two of them could do in a real bed in the comfort of a room. "If you believe we can afford it I think that sounds like a good idea indeed!"

Bruce grinned, knowing exactly how Jan's mind was working, and the two of them made their way to the busy pub. Neither man was a stranger to pubs, Janick having visited the Galway public houses on his weekly trips to the market there and Bruce had frequented pubs in several countries as a soldier. As Bruce arranged for a room for the night Janick took a seat at the bar and ordered them each some of the locally brewed dark beer. After a inure Bruce sat next to him.  
"We're lucky, he has a vacant room and the rate was reasonable." He took a hearty sip of the beer, looking around the crowded room. Cahir was at a crossroads and saw considerable traffic, most people present were obviously locals but there were a few who stood out as travelers. Even as he looked, the door crashed open and a group of five men came in, laughing loudly. Bruce merely glanced at them, then he took a second look. It was Hughes and his men! Why on earth were they this far from their homes?!

Bruce excused himself quietly from Jan who was chatting with the bartender about the condition of the road to Waterford. He was reasonably sure the men couldn't still be seeking jan, that made no sense, but he wanted to find out what they were doing here. knowing they would have no way of knowing he helped Jan escape or that he was with the blonde, Bruce went over.

"Hughes!" He feigned a jovial friendliness he certainly did not feel toward the cruel-eyed man. "Whatever brings you here! I though to never see any of you again after I left Burke's service!"

Hughes looked at him a moment before placing who he was. "Dickinson, isn't it? I might ask the same of you, man! When you disappeared from the barracks the Captain assumed you'd gone back to England in search of employment in the campaigns against the Scots. Have a drink with us, man!"

Hughes turned to gesture to the bartender but when he looked toward the bar, he paused and peered around the people blocking his view.  
"Hey," he nudged the man at his side, "look there! Doesn't that look like the Pole we were trying to collect from a few days ago?"

Oh shit, Bruce thought to himself. He had counted on then either not seeing or else not recognizing Janick. 

"Can't be!" Hughes companion scoffed. "Why would he be here?"

"Why not? Dickinson is here, isn't he?' Then his slow mind finally put two and two together. "Well now, isn't that a coincidence now! Dickinson and the Pole disappear at the same time and now they are both here! You helped him run, didn't you, Dickinson?" he turned accusingly to where Bruce stood. 

"I know nothing of any Pole." Bruce proclaimed, in his mind he was thinking hard about how to get Janick out of their way. He belatedly wished he had not confronted Hughes but the man would have spotted Jan's distinctive bright hair anyway sooner or later. Jan so far had not seen anything amiss, he was still speaking to the barkeep.

"Is that so?" Hughes was scowling now and Bruce's hand instinctively found his hilt. "We aren't working for Burke anymore, it promised to be dull with the chieftainship settled, but still we don't appreciate one of our own working against us!"

"I am not one of your own, Hughes, and what I do is none of your concern!" Bruce felt his temper rising and his voice rose with it. Janick detected Bruce's powerful tones over the din and turned, his face registering surprise then concern.

Three of the men with Hughes very obviously wanted nothing to do with this altercation and quietly drifted away but the one man Hughes had spoken to stayed at his side and they did not miss Bruce's hand moving to his sword. 

Hughes squinted at Bruce. "Why are you concerned with some half Irish, half Polish loner anyway, Dickinson? Is he paying you for protection? Does he have money after all and simply chose not to pay his taxes?" A look of greed passed through the man's eyes.

"We were merely headed in the same direction." Bruce said tightly, glancing toward Jan out of the corner of his eye. Jan sat tense, ready to spring to Bruce's defense at the slightest hint of real trouble and Bruce felt a jolt of fear pass through him at the possibility of his lover being hurt. He had never feared for his own life but the protectiveness he felt for Janick was all consuming and before he was completely aware of doing it he found he had half drawn his sword. Hughes' eyes flicked down at the movement and when he looked up at Bruce again he seemed less sure of himself. He was primarily an archer, Bruce knew, and carried only a long knife as a weapon now. He had also heard of Bruce's years of experience fighting in skirmishes all across western Europe and Bruce could see the bluster leaving him. Like all bullies he was a coward at heart and even though he had his companion as backup he was acutely aware that he was outclassed if any violence were to occur. 

Hughes forced his voice back to it's earlier tone of mock-camaraderie. "Are you perhaps going to throw in your lot with the Unitedman in Wexford, then? That is where we are headed and you are welcome to join us."

Bruce had heard of the murmurs of unrest in Wexford but had no interest in it. Aloud he said "I am thinking of returning to England or perhaps sailing for Belgium, but I thank you for the offer. Are you by chance staying in town tonight?" The threat of violence had vanished like an insubstantial puff of smoke when Bruce demonstrated his willingness to fight but he wanted to be certain the men would not be lurking nearby planning an ambush out of the belief Janick had money.

"No, no, we merely stopped in for a pint of ale. We mean to make Kilkenny by morning and plan to walk through the night."

"I wish you good fortune, then ." Bruce said, making it obvious he had no interest in further conversation. Hughes was trying to ingratiate himself with Bruce now and Bruce found it disgusting that the man had been so easily cowed. Bruce walked away, his senses attuned to the presence of the men behind him but he need not have worried, they stayed standing where they were. Rejoining Janick at the bar Bruce felt himself fairly humming with adrenaline, his nerves tingling as they always did when he was anticipating swordplay. Janick looked at him, rightly reading his mood, and did not mention the encounter with Hughes men until the two of them had finished their drink and made their way up the narrow stair to the small room they had rented for the night.

They had been given a thick candle and there were two more in the room on a narrow shelf opposite the bed and after Janick lit them the room was bathed in soft light. It was a starkly plain room with room enough only for the small bed and a table next to it and janick sat on the bed, looking up at Bruce.

"Are you going to tell me what that was all about down there?"

Bruce had been silent, still keyed up but making a conscious effort to calm himself. He briefly recounted the incident to Jan as he sat next to him. When he finished his explanation Janick didn't respond for a minute and when he did speak Bruce was not expecting his words.  
"This is what I meant earlier when I told you I worry that you will miss the excitement of your former life." His words were soft and there was a hint of sadness in them. "You were almost hoping that man would make some move so you could fight him, weren't you?"

Bruce looked at Janick, startled. "No! I would have fought him and gladly but I did not want to have to! Why would you think that?"

Janick was still looking at him solemnly. I can see it in you, Bruce. You are like a spitting cat right now, ready to pounce on something. You are a man who craves action and I....I fear life with me will prove too dull for you."

Bruce turned completely to face Janick and put both hands on his face, cupping it and forcing Jan to look into his eyes. “Janick, all I could think of down there was that if it came to violence you could be hurt! I had to prevent that, and if I ever do have to fight to prevent that, I will! Yes, I am still on edge but it is not from a desire for violence, it is from a desire to keep you safe, to keep us both safe so we can have a life together!” He leaned close, looking into Jan’s gray eyes from just inches away. “How can I convince you that you are all I want in my life?!”

Janick’s eyes softened then and it seemed to Bruce they turned a shade darker. “I am sorry. I’m sorry I am so insecure. This is all so new to me, it sometimes still feels like a dream and that I’ll wake up still alone in that empty keep. I do believe you, Bruce, and I promise I will try to stop talking foolish.”

Bruce let his hands caress Jan’s face as he removed them, he was smiling softly at Jan but still feeling very emotional.

 

"I love you, Janick. I want you to know without a doubt how much I love you."

Jan's own eyes looked a bit misty. "Then make love to me, Bruce. I want to experience everything with you. Everything." By the look in his eyes Bruce knew what he was saying, what he was giving him permission to do.

"Are you certain you want this?" Bruce's voice was little more than a whisper but there was a shaky quality to it, so affected was he by the idea of consummating his love with Janick.

"I am sure. I am very sure." Jan reached up and cupped the back of Bruce's head, threading his fingers through the long thick hair and drawing him into a kiss.

Their kisses became more and more urgent as Bruce lay Janick back on the mattress, removing his clothing. Jan insisted that Bruce undress as well so they were soon lying full length on the bed , bodies touching head to toe, Bruce leaning over Jan on one elbow as he trailed kisses down his neck and shoulders then back up to nip at his lips, sucking at the lower lips until he felt Jan begin to involuntarily move against him. Jan smoothed his hands across Bruce's back and flanks, his eyes looking dark and dazed in the dim candlelight as Bruce gazed down into them. He felt almost as though he were outside his own body, unable to fully accept what they were doing and what they were about to do, unable to accept that this gorgeous fairylike man beneath him was truly his. The lovemaking had a dreamlike quality for all it's urgency, it was astonishing to Bruce how much passion the two of them were finding together yet he wanted to preserve the enchantment of the act, to not let it become base and crude.

Jan's fingers grazed across Bruce's skin with something like reverence, leaving little trails of fire in their wake and as they became more and more caught up in the act Jan seemed to become lost in the sensations, letting his instincts overtake him as he kissed, licked, and nipped at his skin. They were rocking together, their groins in full contact, and Jan let his legs part so that Bruce was nestled between them, still smothering kisses across every inch of pale skin he could reach. Suddenly Jan shifted his hips and Bruce felt himself graze across the goal he ultimately sought, the sensation causing him to moan softly.

"Janick, if you want me to stop tell me now because in another minute I won't be able to stop." he gasped against Jan's throat.

"I don't want you to stop, I don't ever want you to stop."

"If I hurt you, stop me, promise me you'll stop me. I wouldn't hurt you for the world."

Jan merely nodded, his mouth latched to Bruce's neck, and Bruce raised up just a little, positioning himself. It had been so many years since he had done this that he was almost beside himself with anticipation. He hadn't even often gone this far with John, and as often as not he had been on the receiving end of things then. Slowly, carefully, he exerted enough pressure to feel himself slip just within Jan's body and he looked down to gauge the blonde's reaction. There was strain in Jan's face but when the gray eyes opened and looked up at him with love and trust he knew it was all right to go on. He moved slowly and carefully and by the time he was fully inside Jan's expression had eased somewhat, though he was still breathing hard.

"Are you all right?" Bruce whispered, finding it difficult to remember how to form words.

Jan nodded. "Yes, yes. Go on, don't stop!"

That was all the encouragement Bruce needed. He very gradually began to move, biting his lip with the effort of holding back when every fiber of his being urged him to take Jan hard and wildly. Soon he felt Jan begin to uncertainly meet his movements, then Jan became more sure and he wound his legs around the back of Bruce's thighs, pulling him closer, not only matching thrust for thrust but also grinding his erection hard against Bruce's belly with every movement. Their coupling became more frantic, wilder, until Bruce felt the familiar tension begin to form a knot in his balls. At that moment he felt Jan's body spasm suddenly against him and he felt the hot semen erupt between them. He felt himself tipping, falling from the brink of a high precipice and he bucked into Jan, climaxing with tumultuous force, his mind unable to keep up with the intense pleasure he was feeling.

Bruce fell onto Jan's chest causing the man to 'oof' softly from the impact so he rolled to the side, still holding Jan tightly, still feeling aftershocks ripple through him. He felt Jan's fingers, still shaking slightly, comb through his hair, untangling the long strands and he reached up and grasped his hand, placing kisses on the fingers then the knuckles then the palm.  
"You belong to me now, Janick of Gers, and I belong to you. "

"For all time." Janick replied softly, moving closer and snuggling himself into the warmth of Bruce's chest. The two drifted to sleep, sated and content.

CHAPTER SIX

Bruce awakened slowly, feeling a sense of peaceful contentment as he opened his eyes. Jan's head lay on his chest, the soft hair draping across his skin, sleeping soundly with a small smile on his face. He very softly stroked the hair, smiling to himself, still amazed at the depths of emotion he felt for Janick. They had been together less than a week, had known one another less than a month, yet Bruce had difficulty remembering a time when his thoughts weren't dominated by this slender blonde man with the gentle heart and soft voice. He kissed Jan's forehead, unable to stop himself, and the other man woke, opening his eyes and looking up at Bruce.

"Good morning." he smiled, his voice still heavy with sleep. Is it time we were on our way?"

"It isn't completely light yet, we can stay here a while."

"Good." Janick snuggled closer to Bruce's chest, kissing it then swirling his fingers in the thick soft hair. "I'm very content here." he looked up again, "I'm very happy lying here with you."

Bruce didn't answer but kissed him instead and within minutes the two were making love, not joining this time but bringing one another pleasure with their hands and mouths. It was with great reluctance they rose and left the inn just after dawn. It was a fine, warm day and walking was easy on the straight level road so they made good time. They talked as they walked, unconsciously developing an easy rapport, talking and laughing together out of sheer contentment of being together in spite of an uncertain future. Bruce was relieved that Janick didn't seem to mourn the loss of the life he had known at the isolated keep, he was upbeat and even lighthearted, smiling over at Bruce as they went along. 

By midday the two approached Clonmel, a market town the border of County Waterford. The last he knew, Janick's aunt lived in a town called Kilmacthomas and when they asked at the Clonmel marketplace they were told they still had some distance to go directly southeast. There were no roads leading in that direction other than meandering farm lanes and sheep trails so they left the road, setting off cross country. This was a sparsely populated corner of the county, they spotted a few distant farmsteads and had to clamber over a number of rock fences but encountered no one for the remainder of the day. At nightfall they found no place better to shelter than a brushy patch of woods but fortunately it was a clear night and though it was cool it wasn't uncomfortable. They ate some of the last of their provisions and huddled together against a small hillock. Janick told Bruce some of the tales his mother had told him as a child about such mounds being the homes of faeries but neither man was superstitious and they slept well.

By mid morning the next day they were in a more populated area and they asked a man driving a flock of sheep directions to Kilmacthomas. They were told they were practically there and within minutes they came upon a fairly good road and a cluster of homes. It took longer, however, to locate someone who knew Janick's aunt as he did not know her married name. Eventually they were directed north of the village to a small, neatly whitewashed cottage partially covered by climbing roses in bloom. A two wheel cart stood by the door and even as they approached a woman emerged from the cottage carrying a small chest, putting it on the cart. Behind her was a boy in his teens carrying a woven basket which he also loaded on the cart. When the woman turned to go back into the house she saw the two approaching men and shaded her eyes, waiting for them to approach.

"Good day, Missus," Janick greeted her. "Can you tell me where to find Elizabeth Egan?"

The woman smiled, "You have found me, though my name has been Powers for many years now."

Janick smiled. "I am Janick, your sister Margaret's son, and this is my friend Bruce."

The woman's eyes widened and a look of utter surprise came across her face. "You are Margaret's son!" She embraced him and smiled kindle at Bruce. "This is wonderful! Welcome! Please, come in!"

 

Bruce followed Janick into the tidy home, thinking of how he could see some resemblance between Mrs. Powers and Janick. Her hair was also dark gold and there was a similarity about the eyes, though hers were more blue than gray. Once inside she seated them at a long kitchen table and bustled around making them some tea, talking a mile a minute, asking questions about janick and about her sister. Janick had to tell her that Margaret had passed on several years ago and though she was saddened by the news she was not devastated as there had been no communication between them since her marriage. In addition to the teenaged boy there was a younger girl and she told them she had two older sons.  
They've been in America for almost a year now, and it's fortunate that you arrived today. The day after tomorrow we're sailing from Cork to join them in Boston."

Janick looked at her quickly, dismay in his face. "You're leaving, Aunt Elizabeth? And so soon? I was hoping to get to know you, and that maybe you would know of a place where Bruce and I can get work, maybe a place where we can stay."

"Oh! Oh I'm sorry, Janick , Bruce! I wish I could help. Let me think a bit. For right now, though, you two will stay right here with us, won't you?"

They accepted her hospitality gladly and throughout the remainder of the day Janick learned more about his aunt and cousins as Bruce busied himself fetching some turf for her fire and whatever other chores he could find to do. Because they were getting ready to leave Mrs. Powers had already gotten rid of all but one bed where she and the children slept so it didn't take too much effort to persuade her to allow the two men to sleep in her barn. It was a smaller structure than the one they had stayed in in Clare three nights before but it was snug and dry. After they joined the family for supper and helped Aunt Elizabeth with her nightly chores they retired to the barn and immediately fell into discussion about what their next move should be. It seemed unlikely with Elizabeth and her family leaving the country that they would be able to stay in Waterford.

"I suppose the only thing to do is to sail for England." Bruce told Janick, "though from what I understand it isn't easy to find work here right now."

"If we had the money I would suggest we go to America ourselves." Janick sighed. 

Bruce agreed but they only had a few shillings between them at present, nowhere near enough for an ocean passage. "After we see your Aunt and her family off we'll walk on to Dublin. Perhaps there will be some prospects there."

"If you had not met me, where would you be heading right now?" Jan asked.

"I'm not sure. I've heard of trouble between Austria and Prussia but I've never been to those countries. I really hadn't made any plans and it doesn't matter anyway. I am no longer a soldier."

They talked long into the night lying close together but reached no decision and eventually fell into an uncertain sleep. They were awakened by a crowing rooster at dawn and went to Aunt Elizabeth's well to wash up in the cool morning air. The previous night had been their first without any loveplay since they got together but they had been so fraught with worry they had merely contented themselves with a few kisses. Now as Bruce watched Janick strip off his shirt to wash he was reminded all over again of how fortunate he was to have found this beautiful man. they brought fresh water inside for Aunt Elizabeth, she already had a porridge made and was frying up some slabs of bacon as they entered the house.

"Good morning, boys!" She greeted them with her perpetual good cheer, "Sit down please!" She served them their breakfast then as she and her children joined them at the table she spoke.

"I feel terrible that you've come all this way only for me to leave but it's much too late for anything to be done about it now. I know you were hoping to be able to stay in this area and I've been thinking about that. I have an idea and I am hoping you will give it some thought."

She paused to pour hot water over their tea, then continued. "We lease this homestead from Sir Marcus Walsh and we've only given notice a few days ago of our plans to leave for America. It is possible that, if you are interested, we can turn over the lease to you. I realize that this probably isn't what you were hoping for. There are only six acres on which to grow crops and room to keep cow and perhaps some hogs, but it would give you a place to live."

Janick and Bruce exchanged a quick look and Bruce asked more details about the property. The rents weren't unreasonable, he was told, and Walsh was a lenient landlord as compared to many.   
"We sell a hog once a year to pay the rents, and have been able to raise four children here so you two should be able to live quite well, if you should choose. To be honest," Elizabeth confessed, "Collum Grady, the man who manages the estate for Sir Walsh, was quite put out that I didn't let him know earlier that we were leaving. He is a fine old man, is Mr. Grady, and he worries that he will not be able to find another tenant right away. If you two boys are interested, I can take you round to him after breakfast. I must leave here by noon, I'm afraid, to make Cork by sunset. Our ship sails on tomorrow's first tide. If you two need time to think about this...."

"No, ma'am," Bruce spoke up. "If you would take us to see Mr Grady as soon as may be we would very much appreciate it." Janick was smiling at him across the table, they both knew that this was the solution to their dilemma.

After the meal Elizabeth set the children to cleaning up and gathering the last of the family's belongings while she and the two men walked the two miles back into the village. Cormac Grady lived in a substantial house as befitted the landlord's manager, but Elizabeth rapped on the door. Grady was an older bespectacled man with muttonchop whiskers and a jovial smile, greeting Elizabeth warmly, inviting her and her guests into his parlour. When she explained her proposal of letting her nephew and his friend assume her lease Grady looked considerably relieved.

"Young man," he shook Janick's hand, "your arrival here is very fortunate for both of us! The rents have just been paid for the first half of the year so you will have the remainder of the year to come up with the next payment. That should be more than enough time, the Powers's land is quite rich and should sustain you and your friend well. I will gladly permit you to take over the homestead."

It turned out that there were very few formalities involved, janick merely had to write his and Bruce's name on a makeshift form and the place was theirs. As they walked back to the house, Elizabeth was elated.  
"I'm so relieved that it worked out so well! I would hate to have left you here without any prospects, you are my flesh and blood! In fact I would appreciate it if you would write me in Boston whenever you can, I do not want us to lose touch. Martin, my husband, has no family of his own left and h will be thrilled to know he has gained a nephew!"

When they returned they discovered that the children had finished loading the last of the family's possessions on the cart and hitched up a donkey, ready to depart. Elizabeth was tearful but trying to hide it in front of her children. When they were out of earshot, though, Bruce touched her arm gently and Janick embraced her.  
"This has to be very difficult for you, Mrs. Powers." Bruce said quietly. He was filled with compassion for this woman who he had known so briefly but who had been so kind and who had ultimately had found a solution to their dilemma.  
She brushed at her eyes. "I know I will never return and I know a better life awaits us, but it is so hard to accept that I'm leaving all I've ever known."

"Ma'am..." Bruce began tentatively. He had been very curious about something but had held his tongue, aware that he was the outsider here. "If it isn't too forward of me to ask, what does passage to America cost?"

She was gaining control of her emotions and took a deep breath, attempting a smile. "Five pounds for myself and three apiece for the children. It's taken over two years, but my husband sent the last bit I needed last month." she looked at him with interest. "Are you thinking of making the voyage, then?"

Bruce glanced quickly at Janick but saw no disapproval there. "I admit it has crossed my mind. There is so much unrest here, the Unitedmen are growing in number and i want no part of any conflict."

Mrs. Powers smiled sadly. "There is talk of conflict in America as well, I'm afraid. Many there also want to be free of British rule. My husband plans for us to move further from the colonies within a few more years. There is unlimited land available and we would be safer there if trouble should begin."

"That sounds very wise." Janick said. Please do not forget to write me, I very much want to know how you are doing."

"You have the Boston address I gave you?" she asked him.

He nodded. "I will write. It may take months for my letters to arrive but I promise you i will write."

"And I will as well." She clasped Janick in another hug, and to Bruce's surprise she embraced him as well. "And you, Bruce, I can tell you and Janick are close friends, I will want to know how you are as well."

He smiled, feeling warmth for her. "I will stay in touch. Thank you for everything."

She squared her shoulders then and climbed onto the cart. Taking one last look at her former home she shook the reins and the donkey began to trot away at a surprising pace for such a small animal. Bruce and Jan watched the cart until it disappeared over a rise in the road, seeing the faces of the children looking back at them and at the only home they had ever known. 

CHAPTER SEVEN

They stood there in silence for several minutes, hearing nothing but the breeze in the rye fields lining the road, then they turned to face their new home. It was a tidy home, freshly whitewashed and with carefully tended flowers growing by the door. A handful of chickens and geese milled about, Aunt Elizabeth had planned to ask Mr. Grady to sell them for money to make up for the home being vacant but as that was no longer a consideration she gave them to the two men.

"Do you know anything about farming?" Bruce asked quietly as the two of them walked slowly back to the house.

Janick smiled "Not really, but I'm sure we can learn and I believe Mr. Grady will advise us, he seemed to be a kind man. Bruce..." he looked over at his companion. "Are you really considering going to America?"

"How do you feel about the idea? It will take us a few years to save up the cost of passage but I am genuinely uneasy about the political situation here."

"I will go with you wherever you want to go, Bruce. I have an uneasy feeling about remaining here for long as well."

The two reached the cottage then and Bruce pushed open the brightly painted green door. They entered and looked around the clean but bare room.  
"This is our home now at least, Janick. We have chickens and I think I saw at least two geese, and your Aunt showed us the pits where the remainder of last years potatoes are stored. We should have enough money between us to buy some oats and flour."

Jnick was smiling at Bruce. He was walking around the room examining how well the windows and doors were sealed and peering up at the underside of the tightly woven thatch. After a few minutes he looked over at at Janick and noticed the smile.

"You claim to know nothing of having a house to manage but you look as though you know what you are doing." he said in response to Bruce's inquisitive look.

Bruce laughed. "I assure you I do not! I observed John when I lived there but that was a much different type of house, it was really just a few rooms attached to the smithy. It does appear, though, that this house is well maintained."

The two then went outside to take a closer look at the property, taking an accurate count of the chickens and geese and walking the fields. The Property wasn't large but partitioned into four fields by old stone fences, three of the fields green with half grown potatoes and the other in wheat. All seemed to be growing very well, though both men knew that they could not expect that every year, crop failures and famines were all too common. At dusk they returned to the house and built a fire in the fireplace from the sizeable pile of turf near the barn. there was enough food for them to have an adequate supper, then Janick caught Bruce looking over to the bed at the other end of the room. Elizabeth had to leave such things as linens behind, only able to afford to take only essential possessions on the ship, so the bed was fully made and inviting.

Janick caught Bruce's look. "It's been two days since we've.....lain together, Bruce."

"I know." Bruce stood up from the bench and offered his hand to janick. "Much too long. From now on we can be together whenever we like, as often as we like."

He led Janick by the hand over to the bed and for some reason he almost felt nervous. This was different somehow from the few times they had already been together, this was their own home, they had complete freedom and privacy to do as they pleased and that realization was laden with so many possibilities it made his mind reel. Janick kept hold of his hand, then let go to raise his hand to Bruce's hair, pushing it back from his face then slowly kissing him.

"I sometimes think you've awakened a beast in me," he smiled when he drew back. "All through the day I think of making love with you again, thinking about .....about the things we can do together. At times I can think of nothing else"

Bruce felt a shudder pass through his own body at hearing Jan's words and he pulled the other man close, unable to resist kissing him for another moment. When he felt Jan's immediate response to the kiss, how he molded his lips to Bruce's almost furiously and moaned softly into the kiss, he lowered Jan back on the mattress.Their coupling was frantic, such was their hunger for one another, but it was only their first coupling of the night, only a prelude to long, drawn out, languorous lovemaking that lasted well into the night. they were together, they had a home, they had a future. They asked for nothing more from life.

EPILOGUE  
Five Years Later

 

Bruce and janick stood on the Philadelphia dicks, their meager possessions piled at their feet, and Janick looked at his companion with concern. The voyage from Cork had taken nearly three weeks and Bruce had been ill through most of it, seasick and feverish from the deplorable conditions on board. Jan had been at his side constantly, comforting him and doing what little he could under the circumstances to ease his misery. It had wrenched his heart to see his strong, vigorous lover in such a plight. Now, however, the color was returning to Bruce's cheeks and he breathed in the comparably fresh air deeply. Janick felt the knot of worry he had been harboring in bis gut ease. Bruce would recover, he was already recovering, and within a few days they could continue their journey.

Aunt Elizabeth had been true to her word and she and Jan had exchanged letters as often as possible which usually consisted of four or five letters a year. After the first year Elizabeth's husband had saved enough to move the family, following the wave of Irish settlers south and west down the Shenandoah Valley to the hills beyond. Her letters had been filled with descriptions of the fertile valleys and steep mountains, the abundant land available and the lack of not only the political oppression of Ireland but of the sporadic famines. Unrest was growing in Ireland, particularly in neary Wexford, and the two men had thrown themselves wholeheartedly into working toward emigrating themselves.

It had taken a great deal of hard work, of living on the bare minimum food needed to survive, in order to sell the bulk of what they had grown, but at last Bruce and Janick had made the voyage across the sea. Elizabeth and her family were expecting them before fall, they had already staked out some land adjoining their own for the men and were eager for them to arrive. Throughout the hard times and discouragement of working toward this goal, however, Bruce and Jan had only grown closer. What's more, in America they wouldn't have to be constantly vigilant about the true nature of their relationship being discovered. Janick suspected Aunt Elizabeth had already guessed, his letters were so filled with references and talk of Bruce, and in her return letters she had indicated that her family would not judge them. There would be freedom for them in the remote wilderness, a freedom they could never had hoped for in the old world.

Janick was startled from his thoughts by the light touch on Bruce on his arm. "Are you ready?'

Janick smiled, looking into the amber eyes of the man he loved. "I'm ready. Let's go."

~**~  
THE END


End file.
